Russell Westbrook was a man on a mission on Saturday night. He knew what he had to do amid injuries to both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and with the Los Angeles Clippers in danger of taking a massive blow in their playoff hopes this season against a powerhouse Phoenix Suns side.
Russ delivered for his team, dropping a season-high 37 points in a truly commendable effort. In the end, however, the Suns still prevailed, 112-100, to take a commanding 3-1 lead in their NBA Playoffs first-round series.
Westbrook had a few things to say after their devastating loss on Saturday night. The former league MVP appears to have had a special message aimed at the referees amid a stunning anomaly in Game 3 wherein Westbrook did not attempt a single free throw en route to his 37-point eruption:
“Keep attacking the basket. Hopefully we get rewarded for doing that,” Westbrook responded when asked about what the Clippers need to do in Game 5, via team beat reporter Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.
“I don't know. I keep attacking man,” he continued. “Stay positive. Don't get distracted. Just being in the league over time, just concentrate on making the shot. It's unfortunate man. On Tuesday, I'm right back at it.”
To make matters worse for LA, Russ' 37 points are actually the second-largest point tally in the history of the playoffs wherein a player did not attempt a single free throw. That's quite shocking considering how aggressive Westbrook was in driving to the hoop all night long.
All in all, the Clippers went just 8-of-10 from the charity stripe in Game 4. That's an absolute far cry from the 27 attempts the Suns took from the line on Saturday night.
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